Package and wrapper therefor



Search Room y 1942- 1'. R. WINCHELL PACKAGE AND WRAPPER THEREFOR FiledFeb. 24, 1939 2 Sheets-She'et 1 Search Room y 28, 1942- T. R. wmcnau.2,291,426

PACKAGE AND WRAPPER THEREFOR Filed Feb. 24. 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ymw/zzzz/mzz Patented July 28, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PACKAGE. ANDWRAPPER THEREFOR Thomas R. Winchell, Harpswell, Maine ApplicationFebruary 24, 1939, Serial No. 258,249

2 Claims.

This invention relates to the packaging of articles such as carpets,rugs, or the like, where the package is of considerable length relativeto its diameter or thickness, and is of a length greater than thestandard lengths and widths of suitable sheet wrapping material such asplywood, fiberboard, or the like.

One object of the present invention is to provide a package wherein thecontents is securely wrapped and protected from dirt and moisture and inwhich the wrapping material is of relatively light weight but has amplestrength.

A further object is to provide such a package which may be stackedreadily, either on end or sidewise.

Still another object is to provide a package which can be moved andhandled with comparative ease, considering its considerable size andweight, and wherein the wrapper material is protected from the mostsevere handling stresses.

This package will be described herein with particular reference to itscontents being a carpet, or rug, in rolled condition, though it will beevident from the following description that advantageous featuresthereof are applicable irrespective of the package contents. In order toadd as little to the weight of the package and yet pro tect its contentsfrom dirt and moisture, the wrapper is formed up as an imperforatetubular container, and as before pointed out, it may be formed ofrelatively light weight sheet material such as plywood, or the like. Asplywood is advantageous, the invention will be more particularlydescribed with reference thereto, though certain important features ofthe invention are also applicable to many other materials.

In packages of considerable length to which this invention is moreparticularly related, a plurality of sheets of the wrapping materialarranged lengthwise of the package may be necessary, as the standarddimensions of such sheet material may not be sufilciently great to coversuch a length in a single sheet. If a plurality of such sheets arearranged with their adjacent edges in lapping relation, and are thenrolled up in tubular form, it will be evident that the outer of thelapped layer portions assumes a larger diameter than the inner one, andthis requires a relative movement of the lapped portions as the wrapperis rolled up to form the container.

It is a further object of this invention, therefore, to provide aconstruction wherein such a sliding or relative adjustment of the partsis permitted.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a package embodying one form of this invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view showing sheets of plywood in flatcondition secured together in a manner to permit the formation of thepackage of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a detail section to a larger scale through one end of thepackage on line 33 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an end elevation of the structure of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but to a smaller scale andshowing a modification.

Figures 6 and '7 are end and fragmentary side elevations, respectively,of a cradle for facilitating the wrapping operation, and showing a rollof carpet partly wrapped.

Figures 8 and 9 are perspective views somewhat similar to Figure 2, butshowing other modified constructions.

Figure 10 is a detail section on line Ill-l0 of Figure 9.

Figures 11 and 12 are end elevations showing successive steps in thewrapping operation.

Referring first to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, the wrapper for the package isshown as comprising a plurality of pieces I of plywood arranged withtheir marginal side portions 2 and 3 in lapping relation, so thattogether they form a wrapper with a combined width sufiicient to extendthe length of the package. As shown each of these pieces I is securedalong one end to a stifiener strip 4. That lapping portion of each ofthe pieces I which will come on the inside of the package when thewrapping is complete is shown as cut inwardly from its edge as by thesaw kerfs 5 to form a plurality of tabs 6 partly severed from the sheetmaterial piece, and as many as desired of these tabs are secured as by afastening element 1 of any suitable description to the uncut margin ofthe adjacent piece I. These saw kerfs permit the tabs 6 to be somewhatcrowded together as the wrapper sheet is rolled up into tubular form asillustrated in Figure 1. This rolling up may be done with the article tobe wrapped inside, so that after the rolling up of the wrapper iscomplete and suitable ends l0 are secured within the ends of the tubeformed by the wrapping operation, the contents are enclosed within animperforate casing which adequately protects the contents from dirt andmoisture. It will be noted that as the wrapper is rolled, the uncutmargins of the pieces I assume a larger circumference than the cutmargins overlapped thereby, and the kerfs thus permit a shortening ofthe over-all dimensions of the cut margin so as to permit the curving ofthese out margins into a smaller circumference as is necessary by thefact that they form portions rolled to a smaller radius than the uncutportions. If the cut margins were on the outside, the tabs would be morewidely separated on rolling of the wrapper sheet, and of course thisarrangement could be employed if desired. It may also be found desirableto bevel the edges of the wrapper pieces on the inside to avoid markingthe material packaged.

Where the wrapper is made of plywood as shown, it is preferable toemploy at least three plies, the outer plies as a and b having theirgrain arranged generally lengthwise of the roll axis of the package,while the inner plies c are preferably arranged transverse to the outerplies so that the grain lies in the direction of curvature of thewrapper. This central ply thus acts as a tie to prevent splitting of theouter plies longitudinally of the package, while the arrangement of theouter plies with the grain longitudinal facilitates curving the wrapperinto tubular form.

As shown best in Figures 1 and 3, the ends I!) may each comprise aplywood base portion ll secured to segmental cleats l2, which may be ofa relatively thick wood, and to which the base portions of sheets I Imay be secured by any suitable fasteners l3 such as nails or staples.The heads are secured in position as by fastenings driven through theend pieces of the wrapper into the cleats l2 as at M, and the ends ofthe wrapper are secured in overlapping relation as by tie wires or bandsl5 which are passed around the outside of the package at intervals alongits length and are secured together as by twisting or the like as at IS.The stifiener strip 4 is preferably slotted as at I! to permit thepassage of the tie wires against the face of the wrapper so that thestiffening strip extends outwardly beyond the tie wires and acts as aprotection therefor. In order to reinforce the ends of the package andto prevent the edges of the wrapper from being caught and torn, areinforcing strap l4a may be applied to each of the end wrapper pieces,preferably while the wrapper is fiat, the strap being nailed atintervals loosely so that when the wrapper is rolled it will be ofsufiicient length. One end is preferably turned over the outer of thelapped ends in the package. Fasteners are driven through the strap andthe wrapper into the end head with preferably a row of staples along itsinner margin.

It is also preferable to secure a second stiffener strip l8longitudinally of the package and in spaced substantially parallelrelation to the strip 4. This may be placed in position after thewrapper has been rolled into tubular form about the, article to bepackaged Or at any other convenient time, The two strips 4 and I8 maythen be employed as skids, which stiffen the package lengthwise and takethe wear as the package is being moved. Thus the package may besupported on the strips 4 and I8 while it is being loaded on or unloadedfrom a vehicle and these strips then taking wear and stresses whichmight cause damage if taken directly by the wrapper itself.

The wrapping of the material to be packaged may well be accomplished inthe manner shown lever 35.

and 12. In Figures 6 and 7 there is shown somewhat diagrammatically acradle comprising a plurality of spaced forms 20 which may be secured invertical position as by tie rods 2| which may be provided with collars24 adiustably secured as by set screws thereto and which may define thespacing between the forms 20. Each of these forms is shown as having itscentral depressed portion 22 of generally circular outline throughoutits main portion, and of a diameter approximately that of the outer faceof the complete package. The curved portion 22 merges at its upper endswith outwardly curved side walls 23. The wrapper in flat condition maybe laid across the tops of these forms 20 and then the article to bepackaged, such as the rug or carpet in rolled condition, may be laid onthe upper face thereof, the roll of carpet and the central portion ofthe wrapper being then depressed into the forms as shown in Figures 6and 7, thus curving the wrapper therearound. The ends 25 and 26 of thewrapper may then be brought down in overlapping relation, and atsuitable times the end members l0 may be placed in position and secured.

As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the end portions 25 and 26 of the wrappermay be brought down into wrapped position as by the use of clamps. Asillustrated each of these clamps comprises a flexible band such as 30,one end portion of this band terminating in an ear 3| having aperforation or slot through which may be extended a threaded bar 32. Anut 33, preferably having a rounded end, is threaded on the outer end ofthe bar 32 and its opposite end is pivoted as at 34 to a This lever 35is fulcrumed as on an ear 35 at the opposite end of the band 30. Thisclamp is placed around the package and adjacent to the ends of thepackage, and then by pulling in the direction of the arrow on the lever35, the end portions 25 and 26 of the wrapper may be brought down intooverlapped relation over the end members l0 and secured in position asby nails or staples as desired. Similarly the portions of the wrapperintermediate the ends may be brought down into clamped relation and thetie wires [5 placed in position and secured and tightened, thuscompleting the package.

In Figures 8, 9 and 10, other methods of securing the pieces I into awrapper are illustrated, in which provision is made for the differencein circumference of the inner and outer margins of these pieces wherethey are in lapping relation. For example, as shown in Figure 8, thepieces are arranged in two sets alternately, alternate pieces laoverlapping the intermediate pieces lb at both margins. Each of thesepieces is secured at one end to the stiffener bar 4a as by the fastenersat 40. A second reinforcing strip l8a is secured as by the fasteners 4|to the pieces of one series only, preferably the overlapping pieces la,thus leaving unattached thereto the pieces lb which in the package lieinwardly of the pieces la. As the wrapper thus formed is curved intotubular container form, it will be noted that the inner pieces lb arefree to assume a curvature on a smaller radius than the pieces I a, butthe pieces la being fixed to both of the bars 4a and l8a retain thepieces lb in position, while permitting their margins to slide relativeto the margins of the pieces la. After the wrapper thus formed is curvedto the proper position the end heads l0 may be secured in positionwithin the somewhat diagrammatically in Figures 6, 7, 11 ends of thecontainer, and the ends of the wrapper may be secured in overlappingrelation as previously described.

In Figures 9 and another manner of securing the wrapping pieces whichwill permit them to be rolled up is illustrated. In this form each ofthe wrapping pieces lc, except at one end, overlaps as at 45, the margin46 of its neighboring piece, and at one end each of these pieces issecured as by fastenings 48 to the reinforcing bar 4b. When such awrapper is curved the pieces may twist slightly relative to theirfasteners 48 and assume a slightly conical contour in the final wrappedcondition, the underlying margins 46 taking a curvature of a smallerradius than the overlapped margins 45. If desired, a second skid stripl8b may be employed, and in order to allow for relative motions of thesheet material pieces as the wrapper is rolled, it should be securedlocally only to each piece as by fasteners 49. Of course, if desired,each piece might be initially secured to each skid strip at a singlepoint, thus giving increased freedom for the pieces to move relativelyas the wrapper is rolled up.

While in the forms thus described the package is shown as substantiallycylindrical in contour, it may be otherwise formed, as, for example, inFigure 5, the wrapped container is shown as of hexagonal contour, eachof the wrapper sheets having a bend at intervals such as 50 and beingsubstantially flat between these bends. With such a construction theheads or ends Ilia will be similarly contoured, the cleats in havingsubstantially straight rather than curved outer edges. Otherwise, theconstruction may be identical with any or those heretofore described.Such a container of polygonal outline may be placed on its side withless danger of rolling and, particularly if hexagonal in form, aplurality of them may be stacked in closely nested arrange- Search Roomment. In all the constructions shown the interior or the container issubstantially free from nails or other obstructions which might damagethe contents or the package.

From the foregoing description of certain embodiments of this inventionit should be evident to those skilled in the art that various otherchanges and modifications might be made without departing from thespirit or scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A packer wrapper comprising a plurality of sheet material piecesadapted to be rolled into tubular form, said pieces being arranged intwo series the pieces of the two pieces alternating and the pieces ofone series having their margins overlapping the margins of the pieces ofthe other series, a pair of strips arranged in substantially parallelrelation and lengthwise of said axis, means securing each of said piecesof both series on its outer face to one of said strips, and meanssecuring the pieces of one series only and on their outer faces to theother or said strips.

2. A package wrapper comprising a plurality of sheet material piecesadapted to be rolled into tubular form, alternate pieces overlappingalong opposite edges the margins of the intermediate pieces transverseto the axis of said form, a pair of strips arranged in substantiallyparallel relation and lengthwise of said axis, means securing each ofsaid pieces on its outer face to one of said strips, and means securingthe overlapping pieces only to said other strip, whereby as said wrapperis rolled up, said intermediate pieces, the margins of which areoverlapped by the other pieces, are free to move relative to said otherpieces to assume a curvature of smaller diameter than that of said otherpieces.

THOMAS R. W'INCHELL.

